Coun. Earl Shipmaker has safety concerns about large scale grow-ops setting up shop in the city. The new facilities come with strict requirements: commercial steel doors, 24-hour surveillance, and a record of everyone entering the restricted area, to name a few. Health Canada believes these high security operations will stop product from being diverted to the black market, but Shipmaker thinks it could have an adverse effect on crime.

“We’re worried that the kind of people who could (afford to) run an operation like that would be gangs,” Shipmaker says.

“It’s probable it would be illicit drug money.”

Additionally, he says there have been complaints from the public about an existing grow-op.

“One of the difficulties is the odour having an effect on the neighbourhood. We had several complaints,” Shipmaker says.

But crime and odour aside, one councillor says there’s just not room for a facility of this kind in Enderby. Given Health Canada’s guidelines around the mandatory distance from schools and playgrounds, Coun. Greg McCune doesn’t know where they could put one.

“We looked at our little community and we really don’t have any place that would suit this type of stuff,” McCune says.

Enderby’s limited industrial land is right next to the high school, and most residential and commercial areas are within close proximity to playgrounds, pools and parks, McCune says.

“For us it had nothing to do with what the product is—we have no problem with what they’re trying to do—but these are the guidelines (Health Canada) has set out and we’re just not suitable,” McCune says.

It’s possible that medical marijuana could be grown on agricultural land because the Agricultural Land Commission has deemed it a farm-use. But even then, McCune says the city’s only agricultural land is right next to the public beach.

“Instead of playing the game and having someone come along and think it's a possibility, we don’t want to lead them down that road where they buy property and later find out it’s not suitable,” McCune says.

OPINION Editor, This is a busy time of year, but I find it’s also a time of reflection, particularly as January marks the end of my two-year term as Chair and my 10 years serving on the Board of Interior